Speech and Language Therapy Assistant

East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust; Canterbury; On-site; GBP 26,000 - 30,000; Part time

Job summary

An established healthcare provider is seeking a compassionate and self-motivated Speech and Language Therapy Assistant to join their dynamic Neuro Rehabilitation team. This role involves working closely with patients recovering from neurological conditions, providing essential therapy support, and contributing to a multidisciplinary team. You will have opportunities for professional growth and development in a supportive environment. If you are dedicated to making a difference in patients' lives and have a passion for healthcare, this position offers a rewarding career path in a progressive organization that values innovation and teamwork.

Qualifications

• Experience in healthcare or education settings is essential.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team is required.

Responsibilities

• Support patients with communication and swallowing impairments.
• Engage in education, training, and professional development.

Skills

Communication Skills

Organizational Skills

Teamwork

IT Skills

Problem Solving

Education

5 GCSEs grades A-C including English and Maths

Formal qualifications in health or social/care

Further/Higher education qualification

Tools

Smartphones

Tablets

Apps

Job description

Main area: Speech and Language Therapy

Grade Band: 4

Contract: Permanent

Hours:

• Part time
• Flexible working

18.75 hours per week (Part-time, flexible pattern)

Job ref: 344-0518DCB

Site: Kent and Canterbury Hospital

Town: Canterbury

Salary: £26,530 - £29,114 pro rata per annum

Salary period: Yearly

Closing: 01/01/2025 23:59

Job overview

Are you caring, creative, self-motivated, well-organised, and a great team-player? Then we are looking for someone like you to join our small and friendly SLT Neuro Rehabilitation team!

We are looking for a compassionate, self-motivated and organised Speech and Language Therapy Assistant (SLTA) to help us deliver excellent care to our patients on the East Kent Neuro Rehab Unit (EKNRU) at the Kent & Canterbury Hospital.

EKNRU is a 19-bed unit providing inpatient rehabilitation across East Kent, for people with acquired brain injury, including stroke, TBI, spinal injuries and neurodegenerative conditions. The EKNRU team consists of SLTs, Occupational Therapists, Physiotherapists, Neuropsychologists, Nurses, Doctors, Dietitians, Therapy Assistants, Healthcare Assistants, Catering staff and Cleaning staff. The unit benefits from a therapy garden and access to therapy gym and pool.

This is an excellent opportunity to join a motivated and progressive Speech and Language Therapy service. We are dedicated to learning and passionate about innovation, with plenty of opportunity for development and training.

Main duties of the job

As a Band 4 SLT Assistant (SLTA) you will work closely with patients, their families, friends and carers and make a meaningful contribution to how people experience our services. You will be expected to be kind and responsive, as well as professional and informative, contributing to the quality of the services we provide.

You will contribute to our SLT team achieving its objectives by working closely with and drawing support from the registered clinician and other health care professionals, whilst working autonomously and with initiative to meet the requirements of the role; providing therapy for communication and swallowing impairments to people with acquired brain injury, supporting with administration for the SLT team, and supporting service development by engaging in education, training and professional development.

Working for our organisation

We are one of the largest hospital trusts in England, with five hospitals and community clinics serving a local population of around 800,000 people. Our vision is 'great healthcare from great people'. Everything we do is guided by our values: 'People feel cared for, safe, respected and confident that we are making a difference’. We have a new way of working at East Kent Hospitals, called 'We care'. It's about empowering frontline staff to lead improvements day-to-day. We're looking for compassionate people to be part of our improvement journey for the patients, families and carers we care for every day.

Person specification

Qualifications and Training

• 5 GCSEs grades A-C or equivalent including English and Maths
• Formal qualifications in health or social/care
• Further/Higher education qualification

Clinical Skills and Experience

• Previous experience of working in healthcare or education setting, or similar educational role
• Experience of working for the NHS
• Working as a Therapy Support Worker
• Working with people with acute or neurological illness
• Facilitating therapy or support groups
• Working with patients within an in-patient setting
• Working with members of a multi-disciplinary team

Skills and Abilities

• Able to use own initiative and problem solving skills
• Able to work independently and carry out tasks as directed
• Recognises own limitations and seeks supervision when necessary
• Works to the standards set out in the Code of Conduct for Healthcare Support Workers and Adult Social Care Workers in England (Skills for Health 2013)
• Good organisational skills
• Able to prioritise and manage own workload
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Able to build rapport with colleagues, patients and families
• Able to work well in a team
• Basic IT, typing, telephone and letter writing skills
• Intermediate/advanced IT skills
• Competent in use of smart phones, tablets and apps

Knowledge and Governance

• Awareness of healthcare environment
• Awareness of confidentiality and information governance
• Awareness of variety of neurological conditions
• Knowledge of alternative communication devices

Personal and Professional Attributes

• Reliable and trustworthy
• Polite and respectful
• Approachable
• Willingness to work flexibly
• Ability to remain calm in stressful situations
• Self-motivated
• Able to show initiative

Other requirements

• To be aware of and adhere to the Trust's Vision, Mission, Vision, and Values
• To be able to travel between sites if needed

We’ll close this job advert once we’ve received sufficient applications which may be before the closing date so please apply as soon as possible. We only accept online applications. If you have any difficulty with this please contact our Resourcing Team on 01227 866450 who are happy to help.

The ability to converse easily and provide advice in accurate spoken English is essential for all customer facing roles.

Most positions require a Disclosure and Barring check and will be exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. Posts working regularly or unsupervised with children or vulnerable adults require an enhanced check.

We operate a no-smoking policy on all our sites and grounds.